The apocalypse has been postponed. England managed to beat Slovenia in their final World Cup group game in South Africa yesterday, thus ensuring that they will progress to the knock-out stages of the competition.

Jermain Defoe's World Cup moment seems to have arrived at last. He was bitterly disappointed to miss out in 2006 and spent the summer in philosophical mood with his great friend Shaun Wright-Phillips, whose role on the margins at Chelsea saw him miss the cut, too.

As Fabio Capello was reminded last night of the great players he once had under his command in the great all-conquering Milan team of 20 years ago, Steven Gerrard, sitting three feet to his manager's right, muttered loudly enough to be heard – "he's still got them".

Lessons will be out for hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren tomorrow afternoon as heads either send classes home early or allow school television sets to be commandeered to watch England's critical World Cup match against Slovenia.